The Ambush
by ImaginationOnFire
Summary: This story continues "The Chemistry Test." Lives are at stake when Major Crimes' investigation of fraud turns into a man trap. Delicious interaction between Sharon and Andy / Shandy. Fun with Flynn and Provenza, too.
1. Chapter One

The Ambush

by ImaginationOnFire

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"The Chemistry Test" (also on this site) is the beginning of the story.

"The Ambush" begins three months after the end of "The Chemistry Test."

(I apologize for these idiotic centered dots. I've done everything I can think of to create extra hard returns, but with no luck. Think of the story like birthday cake: It may be a little crumbly, but it will still taste good.)

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CHAPTER ONE

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"Oh, come on, just tell me!" Louie Provenza begged his friend, Andy Flynn.

The pair were hanging out at Flynn's apartment, watching the Dodgers-Rockies game on TV.

"Seriously! Are you seventeen?" Flynn objected.

"Look, it's obvious you and the Captain are closer. I just want to know _how_ close."

"You gonna tell me about you and Patrice?" Andy shivered. "No. Forget I said that."

"Ha! Ha!" Provenza smirked.

"Louie, _no_," he said firmly. "Sharon thinks I'm a stand up guy. Why would I screw that up?"

Provenza snorted.

Andy sighed audibly. "Let me ask _you_ something."

"Shoot."

"_You_ propose to women often," Andy smiled at the jab back at his friend. "How do you know when it's time? In our day, you dated a woman for a while before you asked. But now, people are buying houses and having kids before they get married. If they get married at all."

"Yes, but the Captain is _your_ age, Andy, not a twenty-something. And, damn, you _are_ close if you're getting ready to propose."

"Look," Andy admitted, "I've seen Sharon at her best and worst. And I can't stop thinking about her. And I don't wanna be with anyone else. What else do I do?"

Provenza softened, and the joking was gone from his voice. He laid his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"You ask her to marry you," Provenza replied solemnly. "It's time."

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* * *

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A few miles away, Sharon Raydor soaked in a warm bubble bath, a luxury she regularly enjoyed. As she rested her head against the bathtub, she let her mind relax and drift.

Andy… He made her happy, not because he did something in particular. He made her happy by accepting her as she was and slowly, surely coaxing her out of her fortress.

Andy… He was such a gentleman. They could spend the evening kissing on the couch, and he would refuse to ask her to go further than she wanted to. He obviously wanted her but was waiting for her invitation.

She wanted him, too, but she hoped for some level of commitment; and she wasn't sure how she was going to reconcile those conflicting needs.

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"I love you, Sharon," he'd greeted her last week. She'd invited him over for dinner, and he surprised her with a bouquet of her favorite flowers.

"I love you, too, Andy."

She kissed him, and thank goodness, she could turn the oven down to keep dinner warm, and Rusty was getting home late so they could appear to have waited on him intentionally, and they weren't hungry, anyway — well, not for food. And there they were again, on her couch, arms and legs tangled up, hearts pounding and breathless. She unbuttoned a few buttons on her blouse and showed Andy how to set her on fire. Mmmm, she thought with a smile, he's one fast learner—

—Her phone rang, interrupting her daydream. Hopefully, it was Andy calling.

It wasn't. It was Dispatch, and it was going to be a while before Sharon would be able to return to a bubble bath or thoughts of Andy.


	2. Chapter Two

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CHAPTER TWO

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"I don't know why this counts as a _major_ crime," Provenza half-asked irritatedly.

"It's the amount of money taken," Mike Tao explained. "Seven million dollars. Cash. Taken from the safe of a famous music industry mogul. It adds up."

The crime scene was clean. The building had no security, and either the thief knew the combination to the safe or it had been left unlocked. There were no fingerprints and no other physical evidence. They'd suspected the victim himself, but he had a rock-solid alibi and no motive. A security camera two blocks from the building gave them a shot of who they thought was the thief, but it was so grainy, it was practically unusable.

Major Crimes had spent three days trying to trace the $7,000,000, but all they found were dead ends.

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"I got something," announced Flynn, and everyone gathered around. He brought a piece of paper to the white board at the front of the room. "I thought I'd analyze the suspects we eliminated, and five of the twelve have one thing in common: Western Community Bank with fifty branches in California, Nevada and Arizona. Eighteen locations are here in L.A.. Somehow, almost half of the people we've suspected have an account with this bank."

"What if every one of these people is just one person?" Sykes asked. "Can we even put faces to the suspects? Haven't we just followed paper trails?"

"Right!" Tao chimed in. "It could explain how the money just seemed to vanish. Suppose it's not being laundered in one transaction but through fifty different bank accounts?"

"Excellent work!" Sharon praised them. "Mike, see if you can find that $7,000,000 among recent deposits to the bank. Concentrate on the dead ends," she nibbled on the end of her glasses and grinned at Andy, "which don't appear to be dead at all."

Flynn smiled and nodded at her compliment.

"Next, let's concentrate on these branch offices and hope our suspect went to a teller to make a deposit. Andy and Amy, split the ten branches closest to the recording label office with Lieutenant Provenza and Julio. We need as much footage as we can get from their security cameras. Buzz…"

"Yes, ma'am," Buzz nodded, "I'll set up multiple screens to view the footage."

"And, Buzz," Sharon said thoughtfully, "we may be looking for more than one suspect."

"Yes, ma'am."

"I'll check with our FBI liaison to find out if they have unsolved thefts with ties to Western Community Bank. Thank you, everyone!" Sharon said cheerfully and then walked to her office to report to Chief Taylor.

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* * *

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Late the next day, the team had a conclusive report.

Buzz started first and rolled security footage he had edited together. "Captain, you said to look for more than one suspect. You were right. Turns out there are a man and a woman who appear on the security footage. They come in separately to different branches at different times of the day. They appear to know the tellers, too, because both of them have friendly conversations while making the deposits."

Flynn went next, "Buzz pulled shots of the suspects, and we took them to the banks for identification." He nodded to Julio.

Sanchez read from his notes, "So, Captain, these two people have different names at each branch: Sally Johnson, Nancy Price, Janice Noble, and so on. And they make cash deposits of $1,000 to $3,000 daily into business accounts for fake, cash-only businesses, like food trucks and donut shops. They're actually able to move a lot of money without attracting any attention."

"We suspect they have inside help, and the banks are cooperating with us in getting us the records they used to open the accounts," Tao said. "We've asked them to continue to accept the deposits, so the suspects won't know we're on to them."

"Can we visually identify them?" Sharon asked.

"Oh, yes, ma'am," Sanchez replied, with the rest of the team nodding.

"Excellent! Choose the best location or locations for stakeouts of the bank and follow these two around first thing tomorrow."

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Provenza was consulting with the Captain in her office about possible stakeout locations an hour later when Andy poked his head in the door. He gave Provenza a grin before he addressed Sharon.

"Excuse me, Captain. A guy out here says he's madly in love with you and wants to take you to dinner."

Sharon was wistful. "I'm sorry, Andy. I haven't seen Rusty in three days, and he threatened to find a new mother if I didn't make time for him tonight."

"Aww, it's okay," Andy said gently and started to turn away, "I understand."

"Oh, Ann-dee!" chirped Provenza in an awful Valley Girl impression, "Like, _I'm_ available tonight, and like, don't we have some shopping to do, you know, like, at _The Mall_?"

Yeah, Andy thought. Louie could help him look at engagement rings.

"Like, for sure, like, awesome! Pick you up at seven?" he chimed in, his Valley Girl impression even worse than Provenza's.

Sharon eyed each of them suspiciously, trying not to laugh out loud. What in the world were they up to? And would she have to file a report about it before it was all over?

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	3. Chapter Three

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CHAPTER THREE

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By eleven o'clock the next morning, two suspects sat in interview room one: married couple Harold and Jeanine Anders. They could be arrested on multiple counts of forging documents, but they wouldn't admit to and couldn't be tied to the stolen $7,000,000, yet. Raydor and her team were certain they had the right suspects but continued to doubt they knew the Anders' real identities.

A search of the Anders' home turned up a few fake driver licenses but no cash. Something wasn't right, and it was grating on the division. The couple must have stashed the cash somewhere else.

The Anders' turned over their forged documents, were arraigned, and made bail.

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"I'm sorry to send you on another stakeout, but we've got to see if we can catch the suspects making a mistake," Sharon apologized in the squad room.

"They're being released in a few minutes. Let's have Julio and Lieutenant Provenza track the husband; and Andy and Amy track the wife. If we can bring them in separately, we should be able to get better information.

"Mike," she said, walking toward Tao's desk, "I need you to run every possible document on these people and cross-reference it with their aliases. Let's look at birth certificates, credit cards, frequent flyer numbers, and even library cards. I can't put my finger on it, but they are _way_ too smug for this to be their first time through the system."

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The break they were looking for came two hours later. Sanchez and Provenza followed Harold Anders into a grocery store where he tried to buy a carton of cigarettes. When the clerk refused to accept his $100 bill, Anders became nervous and started a scene. The detectives stepped in and arrested him for disorderly conduct.

Back in interview room one, Harold Anders let loose with a story about his abusive wife, Jeanine, and the crime spree they'd been on for years.

"Two years ago, I was done with it. I wanted to take the money we had and disappear to a quiet suburban life somewhere," Harold said. "I told her one night that I thought we should quit.

"She's always been controlling, but that night…" he paused, with a look of fear in his face, "…that night, she was so angry. She screamed and beat me over the head, and she said if I ever quit or left her, she would track me down and kill me.

"If she knew I was talking with you right now, she'd kill me on the spot. Look," he said, showing Sanchez and Provenza a fresh bruise across his upper arm, "you think I'm lying?"

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Harold seemed believable, but there were too many holes in his story. And if Sharon had a dollar for every time a guilty suspect tried to blame someone else for a crime, she'd be rich. She decided to call Dr. Joe Bowman for advice on the case. He happened to be in the building and came up to the media room. Buzz rolled tape of Harold's interview, and Dr. Joe furrowed his brow.

"I think he's telling the truth," said Dr. Joe to Sharon. "Do you see that thing he's doing with his hands? And look at how his eyes move when he talks about being beaten by her."

"What do you think we should do?" asked Sharon.

"I'd get him to call her and get her back in here. If she suspects he's turned on her, she'll run."

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"We want to help you, Harold," Provenza told him soon after, "but you have to help, too. We need you to give Jeanine a call. Tell her we picked you up, and you need to be bailed out."

"She's going to be so angry," Anders stuttered, his hands shaking as he dialed the phone.

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"Mrs. Anders should be heading downtown in just a few minutes," Sharon talked with Andy and Amy on speakerphone. "The husband is calling her to ask her to bail him out. Please let me know where she is. We can't trust her, and it's possible she'll run."

Andy and Amy tailed Jeanine Anders who left the cafe she was in after getting the call from Harold.

"Captain," said Amy over the phone, "it appears the suspect is heading home. Maybe she's picking up bail money?"

"Okay, Amy, stay with her."

Provenza was still sitting with Harold Anders in the interview room when Sharon had a terrible thought.

"Lieutenant," Sharon asked Provenza through his earpiece, "would you find out if they have a stash of money or guns in their home? Maybe something hidden so well that we didn't find it with the search warrant?"

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	4. Chapter Four

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CHAPTER FOUR

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The woman they knew as Jeanine Anders pulled into her garage and stepped out of her car. She reached into the backseat for a package and then went inside.

"The suspect just entered her house," Amy reported to Captain Raydor over the phone.

"Amy," Sharon ordered, "take cover!—"

Crack! Sharon heard a gunshot through the phone. She was immediately on the radio.

"Dispatch, we have detectives ambushed. Shots fired at two-oh-two-five Willow Lane. Send backup. Code three."

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* * *

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Jeanine Anders' first shot shattered the driver's side window next to Andy Flynn's head.

"Shit!" he shouted, as he and Amy bolted from the passenger side of the vehicle. Andy grabbed the radio on his way out. They crouched down against the passenger side of the car.

"Jeanine Anders, this is the Los Angeles Police Department," he announced over the car's loudspeaker. "Put your weapons down and come out with your hands up. Repeat, this is the LAPD. Put your weapons down and come out with your hands up."

Silence.

Amy opened the back door of the car and pulled out her and Andy's ballistic vests which they slipped on quickly. They drew and readied their guns.

Crack, crack, crack! Three more bullets hit the car. They could hear sirens, but backup was still a couple of minutes away. Minutes they probably didn't have.

"Can you tell where she's shooting from?" Amy asked.

"Yeah," replied Andy, "front window, right corner of the house."

Crack! Amy spied gunfire from the window. "Okay," Amy said, "give me cover, and I'll take her out."

Amy counted down quietly: "Three, two, one—"

Pop! Pop! Pop-pop-pop! Andy shot his duty pistol toward the window, as Amy slowly stood to get a clear view.

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Crack-Pop! Anders' and Amy's guns fired almost simultaneously. Amy fell back onto the ground, as if struck by a hammer to her chest. Andy pulled her back toward the car and covered her body with his. Backup units were arriving, and they'd take care of the Anders woman. His priority was his partner.

There were no more gunshots from the house.

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In a strange sort of ballet, four police cruisers pulled into position at the front of the house and two pulled into position at the back. Uniformed officers quickly took cover behind their vehicles, drew their guns, and aimed them at the house.

Andy shouted, "The suspect fired from the front right room. I think we neutralized her."

Three more cruisers pulled up, and officers were sent in to sweep the house. Andy heard someone shout, "All clear. Suspect dead on scene," a few minutes later.

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Andy rolled off Amy. She instinctively put her hand to the center of her chest.

"Damn!" she joked weakly, "That's going to leave a mark."

The outer layer of her ballistic vest had a hole in it, but thankfully, the inner layers stopped Jeanine Anders' shot. Amy tried to sit against the car but doubled over in pain. Andy sat next to her and rubbed her back gently.

"Give me your phone," Andy ordered firmly. She handed it over, and he called her "In Case of Emergency" phone number.

"Hey, girl, what's up?" a female voice answered, cheerfully.

"Hi," Flynn heard his own voice, surreally calm and professional, "this is Lieutenant Flynn of the LAPD. I work with Amy Sykes."

"Oh, no!"

"It's okay. Calm down. What's your name?"

"I'm Lisa Harris. I'm Amy's sister," she breathed heavily.

"Okay, Lisa, first off, Amy's gonna be fine. She's hurt, but she'll be okay. If you—"

"—Where are you? Can I see her?"

Andy gave her the address.

"I'm only ten minutes from there," she seemed to compose herself. "Tell her I'll be there."

The line went dead.

Amy focused on her breathing to manage the pain, grateful for her partner's comfort. Paramedics soon arrived, and they helped her walk to an ambulance.

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* * *

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The rest of the Major Crimes division pulled into the crime scene within fifteen minutes. Provenza checked on Andy who was in the process of being interviewed by FID. Buzz filmed Sanchez and Tao as they searched Mrs. Anders' car for the hidden lockbox Mr. Anders was describing to Lieutenant Provenza just moments before the gun battle. They found a pile of cash, and they presumed the gun he described would be next to her body.

Sharon Raydor drove up in her own car moments later. She shot a quick text to Rusty, so he wouldn't worry when he, inevitably, caught the news report. Sharon roped her badge around her neck, and as she walked up, she noticed a distraught woman trying to gain access to the crime scene.

"My sister is in there. Please, help," she begged the uniformed officer at the perimeter.

Sharon instantly felt empathy for her and touched her lightly on her arm. "Hi," she said, "my name is Sharon. Can I help you?"

"I'm Lisa Harris, and my sister, Amy, is hurt. I got a call from Lieutenant Finn— Flynn— who told me she's here."

"Yes, of course. I'm looking for Amy, too," Sharon said with a reassuring smile. "Come with me."

Sharon signed herself and Lisa in. Placing a hand on Lisa's shoulder, Sharon guided her to where three ambulances were parked.

"Lisa!" Amy was sitting at the back of an ambulance and brightened when she saw her.

"Captain," Amy acknowledged Sharon. Amy stiffened to attention out of habit, but it was so painful that she caught her breath and sagged down.

"At ease, Amy." Sharon smiled and squatted on the ground in front of her. "How are you?" she asked with concern.

"I took a bullet to my vest, but I'll be okay."

Sergeant Staples walked up to the ambulance. "Detective Sykes?" he asked her.

"Yes," she replied.

"Amy," Sharon interrupted him, "you remember Sergeant Staples from FID. You have 24 hours to give him a statement. It doesn't have to be right this moment."

Amy appreciated her captain for standing up for her.

"Thank you, Captain," she said, gratefully, "but I feel strong enough, and I'll never remember the details more clearly than I do right now."

"Very well," Sharon said, standing up. "If you need anything at all, please, call my cell." She turned to Lisa, gave her a quick hug, and whispered, "Thank you for coming so quickly. She's going to need someone with her for a few days."

"I'll keep her close as long as she needs me," Lisa assured her.

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Sharon walked further into the perimeter to check on her team. It appeared that Provenza was directing the operation, and he waved at her to join him.

"I'll manage the crime scene, Captain." Provenza assured her. "Please. Take care of Andy," he said worriedly, nodding in the direction of a bullet-riddled, unmarked police car.

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	5. Chapter Five

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CHAPTER FIVE

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Andy sat on the ground against the rear door of the car and went through a mental checklist: suspect is neutralized; Amy is with the paramedics; FID has my statement. His adrenaline rush ebbed, and he closed his eyes in an effort to block a numb loneliness which wanted to fill the void. The voice of an old internal enemy suggested he drown the memories of his day in a bottle of bourbon. No, I'm fine, he told the enemy, weakly. I'll be —

"—Hey," Sharon said softly, standing over him and working to keep her emotions in check.

"Hey," he opened his eyes and gave her a weary smile.

She sat down next to him against the car, hooked her right arm into his left arm and laid her head on his shoulder. Was it his mental fog or was Sharon the kindest person he'd ever known? The loneliness lifted, and he desperately wanted her comfort.

"Sorry if we get in trouble for this," he whispered, referring to their public display of affection.

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Sharon turned to face him, gazed into his eyes and frowned. She wanted to be there as his lover, but she realized she needed first to be there as his Captain. She unhooked her arm and moved to sit in front of him, her legs crossed.

"Why did you call Amy's sister?" she asked, probingly.

"She needed comfort. Support. You can't survive being shot at without it."

"And to be clear, Andy, you were under fire, just like your partner?"

"Yeah."

"So, who do you want me to call to give _you_ comfort and support?"

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Silence. Confusion. Let her be your Captain, his intuition told him.

Andy smiled weakly, "Her name is Sharon Raydor. My best friend. But we're more than that, too."

"You're dating?" Sharon smiled pleasantly and played along.

"Yeah, three months. Or more. Depends on how you count it."

"Is she good to you, Andy?"

"Yeah," he smiled. "Warm and soft. Easy to talk to. God, she means _everything_ to me."

He paused and his eyes grew misty.

"Can you keep a secret?" he asked.

Sharon nodded, melting inside.

"I'm gonna propose to her," he said, with confidence.

"Yeah. I'm just gonna say," and he looked into her eyes, "'Sharon Raydor, will you marry me?'"

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Silence, again. Sharon was in shock and disbelief, and as she processed what he said, a smile of joy covered her face, and her eyes welled with tears.

"Damn you, Andrew Flynn," she murmured lovingly. He said nothing, adoring her with his gaze.

"Yes," she whispered finally, tears streaming down her face. "I will marry you."

Andy pulled out his handkerchief and handed it to her.

"Louie and I picked out a ring for you," he offered.

"At the mall?" she laughed through her tears.

"Yeah," he laughed easily, "at the mall."

She shook her head at him, as she resisted a powerful longing to throw herself into his arms.

"God, Andy," she told him, "I'm going to get you back for this."

"I hope so."

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She had to look away from him for a minute to compose herself, and then she was serious again.

"One last thing," she said. "Have you had any thoughts of drinking?"

"Yeah," he replied honestly. "I need an AA meeting. And a talk with the department shrinks, too."

"Is there anything else you want to share with me?" she asked.

"No, that's it," he answered.

Sharon nodded, furrowed her brow, and smiled at him.

"Will you be okay here for a few minutes?" she asked him. "I need to talk with a couple of people, and then we'll go to my place."

Andy nodded. Sharon really was an excellent Captain. He smiled. Just wait till Louie hears how he popped the question.

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* * *

Sharon coordinated briefly with Provenza and then met with Assistant Chief Taylor and Chief Pope who were preparing a statement to the press. She asked for three things: 1) Investigation of the Anders case to be transferred to the Fraud Section; 2) LAPD psychologists to provide services to every member of Major Crimes, not just Flynn and Sykes; and 3) The entire Major Crimes division to be on paid, administrative leave for a month.

"I don't think you understand," she said when Taylor balked at her expensive request. "Every person in my division feels responsible for what just happened. If we don't deal with this correctly, it will leave us gun shy and undependable. Help me fix it, please."

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	6. Chapter Six

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CHAPTER SIX

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"Rusty," Sharon called out, "we have company!"

"Oh, God, Sharon!" he answered and rushed to meet her. "Is everyone okay? You warned me about the news reports, but still…"

"Yes," she said and hugged him tightly. "Amy took a bullet to her ballistic vest, so she's bruised but recovering at her sister's house."

"Hey, Rusty," Andy greeted him. He walked in the door behind Sharon, wheeling a large piece of luggage.

"Andy's going to recover here for a few weeks."

"Were you shot?" Rusty asked Andy wide-eyed.

"Shot _at_," Andy answered, sourly. "Same thing except no hospitalization or formal funeral."

"Yeah, I remember," Rusty recalled his brush with death. "At least if you're dead, you don't have to live with the nightmares."

"And that's exactly why you," Sharon ordered Andy, "are sleeping in my bed with me."

Andy knew about the nightmares. He'd been through them before.

"Thanks, that means a lot," he said, gratefully.

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The first five days were tough. Andy slept 12-14 hours a day. Nightmares plagued him, with the shootout repeating itself time after time. When Sharon heard him breathing fitfully or tossing in bed, she coaxed him toward the safety of the present moment, speaking softly to him and tucking him into her arms. The daytime routine repeated itself, too: breakfast, AA meeting, counseling session at headquarters, lunch, another AA meeting, and then home. Sharon stayed at his side almost continuously, monitoring his state of mind and taking care of him.

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Friends in the Department brought food each day to their break room. Assorted members of Major Crimes were there daily for counseling, and they ate lunch together. One day, a somber mood arose from a discussion about dying in the line of duty. Another day, they laughed until their sides hurt as they took turns mimicking each others' mannerisms. Each day brought a bit of healing and helped to restore their camaraderie.

The events of the investigation and shootout came to be known for the Major Crimes division as "The Ambush." It was clear that while the squad had acted logically, purposefully, and quickly to solve the Anders' case, they could not have avoided walking into a man trap. LAPD counselors suggested the term, and as the squad recovered, they grew to embrace it.

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Fraud Section solved the case within a few days after Mr. Anders made a full confession. "Harold and Jeanine Anders" were among hundreds of aliases the couple had used. It turned out "Harold" was telling the truth: He and his wife had run cash laundering schemes across the country for years. They would establish themselves in a location, and their inside man, his cousin, would get a job in the fraud and audit department of a midsize bank. The cousin would stay at the bank long enough to get the couple's cover stories and bank accounts established, resign, and then help them steal cash. In the case of the theft of the recording industry mogul, "Jeanine" overheard a conversation at a bar which she turned into a friendship with one of the employees. She passed inside information to the cousin who easily broke into the office and stole the money. Money in the bank accounts was direct deposited to a dummy corporation which fronted as an insurance company. The trio had laundered $80 million so far and enjoyed their spoils under yet another secret identity out of New York City. Both "Harold" and his cousin would be serving long sentences in federal prison.

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	7. Chapter Seven

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CHAPTER SEVEN

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Strange, Andy thought.

It had been almost two weeks since The Ambush, and Sharon and Andy were preparing to turn in for the evening.

He had just exited the ensuite bathroom after brushing his teeth.

Normally, Sharon would have been reading a book in bed. But tonight, the lights in the room were dim, and he heard smooth jazz coming from her clock radio. Sharon was sitting in bed, the covers pulled up underneath her arms, and her shoulders were… bare.

"Hey," she said softly. Her gentle tone reminded him of when he first saw her at The Ambush.

"Hey," he said back, smiling. He walked to the bed, slipped under the covers, and sat up on a pillow beside her.

"I noticed you're feeling like yourself again," she said.

"Yeah. The worst is over. It's downhill from here."

She looked up at him and gave him a long kiss.

"I had wanted to give you this surprise sooner," Sharon purred, "but it needed to wait until we were ready."

.

A night time surprise. In the bedroom. With dim lights. And jazz music. And those bare shoulders…

"Oh, _I'm_ ready," he assured her. "What's my surprise?" he asked with a boyish grin.

She rolled her eyes and giggled. "Me," she said sweetly, pulling open the covers for him to see.

"Whoa…" Andy breathed hard. Sharon was wearing absolutely nothing. He threw off his t-shirt and wiggled out of his pajama pants.

They sighed together as they slipped down under the bedsheets, arms and legs tangled together, hearts pounding and breathless, and they didn't stop until they were spent.

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* * *

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"Sharon," stumbled Rusty nervously, "I want to ask you something, but it's really none of my business. But then again, it is. And the more I think about it, the more I think it's a good idea. But it might not be. And I don't know if I should say something. But if I don't, then you won't know that I think it's a good idea.

"If it's a good idea," he caught his breath, "you know, at all."

It was the next morning, and Sharon and Rusty were eating breakfast alone before Rusty went to class. Provenza had picked up Andy to go to an AA meeting, and then the guys were headed to the police department. Sharon would join them later.

"Slow down," she encouraged him. "Why don't you just ask me, and then we'll figure it out together?"

Rusty took a big breath in and out.

"I want Andy to move in with us."

Sharon did a double-take but quickly recovered. "Okay," she paused, "any reason why?"

"Well, yeah," he said, as if it should have been obvious to her. "For one thing, you're always here now. You don't have to leave to go on dates with him, so I have more time with you. And another thing is, you're just happier with him here. Not that you weren't always nice," he said quickly.

"But now you're _extra_ nice. The first week he was here, you were really worried about him. But since then, you're always wearing this big smile, and it makes me want to smile, too."

Sharon's eyes filled with tears.

"And one more thing: I really like Andy. I know he sometimes calls me 'kid' and that's kind of awkward, but he spends time with me. My mother — my _first_ mother — would have boyfriends, and most of them didn't want _anything_ to do with me. Andy always wants me around." He paused and shrugged. "It's like we're already a family."

Sharon got up from her chair and gave Rusty a huge hug.

"I definitely think it's a good idea, Rusty," she laughed. "I couldn't imagine Andy going back to his empty apartment, and now, maybe, he won't."

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	8. Epilogue

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EPILOGUE

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Provenza pushed a moving box of books and pictures into the corner of Sharon's living room.

"This is all you're bringing?" he asked.

"I have a few more things," Andy said, "but look at my furniture versus Sharon's."

"Ewww," agreed Provenza, "I see your point. So," he said, changing the subject, "when, again, did you ask her to marry you?"

"Three weeks ago."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Before or after The Ambush?"

"During."

"Sharon, that's bullshit, right?" he called to the kitchen.

Provenza and Patrice had come over to Sharon's condo to watch the Dodgers-Diamondbacks game on TV. Sharon and Patrice were making a tray of snacks and dips.

"Probably," she sang, cheerfully. "What are you talking about? And, Louie, thanks for not calling me 'Captain' in my own home."

"You're welcome," Provenza said gallantly, entering the kitchen. He stole a pretzel off the tray, and Patrice playfully slapped at his hand. He moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and nuzzling her neck. Provenza swayed with Patrice while he talked.

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"Andy says he proposed to you during The Ambush."

Sharon relived the moment in her mind and smiled. "Well, yes, that's true. Right in the middle of the crime scene! He caught me completely by surprise."

Andy walked up behind Sharon and gently massaged her shoulders. "So," Andy asked Patrice, "what happened with you guys?"

"Well, Louie came over after The Ambush," she said, "and we had a long conversation about how uncertain life is. He proposed the next day!"

Provenza looked at Andy, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Double wedding," Andy nodded and replied.

Sharon and Patrice smiled at the thought and at each other.

"At Dodger Stadium," continued Provenza, his eyes brightening.

"On Opening Day!" Flynn exclaimed.

Patrice and Sharon rolled their eyes.

"Boys!"

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THE END. FOR NOW.

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Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE...

"Operation Magnet": The hunt is on for super villain Phillip Stroh. Can L.A.'s law enforcement community come together to recapture their #1 dirt bag? This story takes a step back in time, and commences following the end of the finale for Season 3, "Special Master Part 2" (air date: January 12, 2015). To my Shandy fans, there's a little something in "Operation Magnet" for you, too!

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